Does creatine help older people get stronger after a stroke?
Influence of CReatine Supplementation on mUScle Mass and Strength After Stroke (ICaRUS Stroke Trial): A Randomized Controlled Trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Older people who had a stroke took creatine or a fake pill for one week. Both groups ate extra protein and moved a little every day.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
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Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Older people who had a stroke took creatine or a fake pill for one week. Both groups ate extra protein and moved a little every day.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 547 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Publication
Authors
Souza JT, Minicucci MF, Ferreira NC, Polegato BF, Okoshi MP, Modolo GP, Leal-Pereira FW, Phillips BE, Atherton PJ, Smith K, Wilkinson DJ, Gordon AL, Tanni SE, Costa VE, Fernandes MF, Bazan SG, Zornoff LM, Paiva SR, Bazan R, Azevedo PS
Related Content
Claims (6)
Taking creatine helps your muscle cells soak up more water, making them swell a bit—and this swelling tells your body to stop breaking down muscle as much.
Older adults in the hospital for a certain kind of stroke can safely take a specific dose of creatine for a week — it’s generally well-tolerated, though some might get mild stomach issues or temporary changes in a kidney-related blood test.
Older adults getting better after a certain kind of stroke tend to gain strength and move better over three months, whether or not they take creatine — so most of the improvement probably comes from regular rehab and the body healing on its own.
Older adults who had a stroke didn’t get stronger or gain more muscle from taking creatine for a week, even if they ate enough protein and started moving early.
Taking 20 grams of creatine a day for a week after a certain kind of stroke might lower a brain-related protein linked to inflammation in older adults — suggesting it could help with brain healing.